President Röpke calls for greater role of civil society in the post-Cotonou agreement

On 28 June President Röpke opened the 8th meeting of the European Union Africa Economic and Social Stakeholders' Network. The meeting, which gathered the representatives of the EESC and the African Union Economic, Social and Cultural Council (AU ECOSOCC) focused on the topic of sustainability with two main themes: water and nutrition; and critical raw materials.

In his speech President Röpke underlined the importance of the involvement of civil society in the Post-Cotonou agreement, and call for its urgent final signature. He welcomed the fact that the Post-Cotonou agreement recognises the significant role of civil society and social partners in its implementation and monitoring. He reiterated however that all EU agreements should to incorporate a robust civil society element, and that the ACP-EU Follow-up Committee with its more than 20-year experience as the only ACP-EU mechanism in place, will be the best place to contribute to and support the establishment of institutional mechanisms guaranteeing civil society participation within the scope of the Post-Cotonou agreement.

The meeting provided an opportunity to collaborate with the ACP-EU Joint Parliamentary Assembly, which took place in Brussels at the same time.

Finally, the meeting resulted in the adoption of a political declaration, which will be addressed to the institutions of the European Union and of the African Union.

Speech by President Oliver Röpke at the 8th European Union Africa Economic and Social Stakeholders' Network meeting